


The Times Craig Boone Fell in Love With The Courier Six

by dragonflythemuse



Category: Fallout (Video Games), Fallout: New Vegas
Genre: Angst, Emotional/Psychological Abuse, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Just a mention of it, M/M, Slow Burn, carla boone/craig boone (mentioned), craig boone/manny vargas (mentioned) - Freeform, probably? idk boone is a dumb fool in love
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-10-02
Updated: 2018-10-12
Packaged: 2019-07-23 15:50:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,804
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16162043
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dragonflythemuse/pseuds/dragonflythemuse
Summary: Craig Boone didn't expect all of this to happen after an optimistic courier blew through Novac. Dustin Sixx made him crave for more than a companionship.





	1. The First Time Craig Boone Fell In Love With Him

Craig Boone had never intended to get this close to the crazy courier who had walked into Novac and came into his life. He never intended to open up his past towards the small darker skinned man who seemingly had all the answers. He never intended to get so close that seeing the courier in pain gave him mental anguish. He never intended to fall in love. 

If you had told him months before that Craig would be happy staying with Dustin, he would’ve laughed at you and told you to suck his dick. He was surprised with himself, though. He had become protective over the smaller mailman. Before he would just kill enemies for sport, but over the weeks, he’s been killing enemies before they could get to Dustin. For the longest time, he told himself that whenever Dustin would get himself into some trouble, he would leave and go back home to hunt Legionnaires. But when the clumsy courier would fall into trouble, Boone found himself running to protect him and even save him. He was becoming very soft. 

It isn’t a bad thing, I guess, he thought. It’s been a long time since I’ve grown so close to someone. 

But at the same time, Dustin was different than anyone else he had gotten close to. When he joined First Recon, Craig met Manny Vargas, who had become his best friend and even someone he experimented with in bed. It was just a fling after so much close contact with each other over the years. Once they were discharged and sent to Vegas, the two had given up their fling after finally being free from the NCR’s grip. 

And that’s when Craig met Carla. 

She was beautiful. She was kind. She saw something in Boone that he still can’t see in himself. Her passion for the city and Craig was warm and inviting, and Craig couldn’t resist the affection.

After years of not having enough soft touches and reassuring words, he was in love. Or at least he thought he was in love. He was in love with the idea of Carla, but in actuality, she used his starvation for affection as an advantage over him. She never actually treated him well. 

When Manny told Dustin why he had gotten into so many arguments with Carla, the courier didn’t want to pry and ask why, but the sniper had hinted at the poor treatment. Dustin could only assume that Carla was a manipulative and cunning and Boone wasn’t the wiser. 

Looking back at it, Craig felt like a fool. He never realized the harm she was doing to the others or even himself. He felt like an ass for distancing himself from Manny after he was trying to stand up for him. Maybe that was why he was so hesitant about getting close to Dustin. He was in love with the idea of someone valuing him and loving him, but would it ever come true? Or would Dustin be like Carla and use him? 

He didn’t feel himself shake. He didn’t notice his cigarette fall to the wooden floor. He didn’t notice the smaller man approaching him, stepping on the cigarette to put it out, and then slowly put a hand on his broad shoulders. 

The touch made him jump and his head snapped to the courier, who was looking at him softly, eyes full of concern. 

“You okay, Craig?” he asked. His hand moved to his bicep. 

“Yeah. Just thinking.” 

Dustin pressed his lips together. He nodded, knowing not to pry any further into what Boone barely wanted to talk about. Dustin saw the tear rolling down Craig’s cheek. He slowly brought his hand up to the others cheek, as if asking for permission. The sniper didn’t move and he let Dustin wipe away his tear. 

The courier’s soft small hands felt warm against Boone’s cold cheek. He inhaled sharply at the touch as if warranting crying more, and Dustin smiled slightly. 

“Hey,” Dustin said quietly, drawing Boone’s attention. “Lily said she could use some extra help rounding up the Bighorners. You want to help?”

The two of them had traveled up to Jacobstown with a poor broken hound that the King had allowed him to take for a good healing. Because Jacobstown was such a long hike from Freeside, the duo decided that it would be best if they took a few days to rest and gain energy to go back to Novac to talk to Old Lady Gibson at the scrap yard about getting a functioning brain. Boone was fine with it. He honestly didn’t mind spending the next few days with Dustin in the quiet town dedicated for Nightkin and Super Mutants who were trying to become more civilized. 

“I thought you were the farmer.”

“I am. But I thought it would be more fun to do it with you.”

That forced a smile on Boone’s face. “Fine. Tell me what to do.”

If you told Boone that he would enjoy rounding up mutated hoofed beasts for a Nightkin grandmother with a courier who survived a bullet to the head, he would’ve told you to get off chems. 

But here he was, tossing rope back and forth between himself and Dustin. After some rounds, he let out a sigh and decided to take a break as he brought a cigarette up to his lips.

They shared a bed, both admittedly comfortable with it, and Boone would relish every time Dustin bumped his arm against his broad back. The first night they slept there, Boone felt the scarred forehead of the Courier on his bare back, his hair tickling his spine. He couldn’t help but let out a smile, grin baring his teeth at the touch. 

That was the first time he fell in love with the infamous Courier Six, in the warm lodge atop the mountain.


	2. The Second Time Craig Boone Fell In Love With Him

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Boone finally realizes that it's time to confront Bitter Springs. It comes with a lot of emotions that he never wanted to face again.

The second time he fell in love with Dustin was at Bitter Springs. Boone had come to terms with his past and decided that he needed to go back and face his inner demons. Dustin didn’t agree or disagree. He told Boone that he would follow him to the ends of the Earth and never bat an eye. 

“You mean that?” Boone asked.

“Of c-course. You’re traveling with me on my journey in life. I want to do the same for you.”

Dustin didn’t tell Craig what all he should do to overcome his PTSD. He couldn’t tell him what to do to help him feel better. So all he could do was be there for his companion. All he could do was return the favor that Boone had given him. He knew that he was still struggling to cope with the loss of his wife. He knew what had happened at Bitter Springs, but he never wanted to pry or to ask about exactly what happened. All he wanted to do was support his best friend and his companion. He truly cared about him.

So they traveled to Bitter Springs. On the trip there, Boone didn't express anything emotionally, but once they neared the camp, he began to get antsy. Dustin noticed. He began to fidget with his beret, his muscles began to twitch and flex unconditionally, and it reminded Dustin of his own epilepsy. But with Boone, he could feel the aura of panic and nervousness. Even fear. It was strange. Dustin was nervous as well. 

Eventually, they arrived at the small refugee camp. Dustin could hear his breath becoming shaky and uneven. He began to fear a panic attack from Boone, but he stayed calm. They stood in the camp for a moment, before going back to the rocky entrance. 

“Hey,” Boone said to his partner. “I think we should stay here tonight. I need to work things out.”

Dustin nodded. “Okay. You gonna t-take watch or do you want to rest?”

Boone shook his head. “Can’t sleep. I’d rather take watch and think things through.”

Dustin nodded. “Alright. Wake me up if you need anything okay?” 

Boone nodded. He didn’t really want to talk to Dustin about his personal details, but he was extremely appreciative of his company. It didn’t take Dustin very long to fall asleep, and Boone could hear his gentle snoring. He looked down at the smaller figure who was dozing happily and he shifted slightly so his head was safely placed next to his thigh. He sighed and kept watching the night sky and occasionally checked the landscape with his scope. 

\-----

Dustin felt a rough shake of his shoulders as he jolted awake. 

“Dustin, fucking wake up!” he heard hissed in his ear.

“What, what the fuck is hap-pening.”

“Legionnaires. They’re coming to attack Bitter Springs.”

Dustin rubbed his eyes. “Huh?”

“I saw them, I heard them, they’re coming to try to take over Bitter Springs. Wake the fuck up so we can prepare and wait for them to come.”

Dustin yawned. “Okay, okay. Help me up, p-please.” 

Boone gently pulled up Dustin and the two went to preparing the small base for the wrath of Caesar’s Legion. They got the NCR Soldiers who were well enough to patrol the area to help them fend off the rabid soldiers. 

The two held up well, despite injuries. They fought back to back, watching the heads of Legionnaires explode with brain matter and blood. For the next thirty minutes, that's all Boone could see. His anger blinded his fighting and he felt it all surge up through his body as soon as a Legionnaire approached Dustin too fast. He quickly got to his feet and tackled the soldier. Immediately the two fell too the ground and Boone struggled to reach for his knife attached to his thigh. As he reached for it, the soldier, masked by Legion garb, reached forward and grabbed Boone's thick neck, tightening and squeezing until Boone struggled to breathe. But he didn't let that slow him down as he grabbed his knife and quickly shoved it into the chest of the Legionnaire. The grip on his neck loosened and continued to do so as Boone repeatedly stabbed the Legionnaire, even past his death. Every blow, he let out a scream. 

It was very upsetting to watch, especially for Dustin. There were so many emotions in each blow and Boone didn't slow down, even as blood began to coat his shirt and face. He had to get up and approach him to attempt to calm him down. 

"Boone, stop! He's already dead, you've already killed him!"

Boone let out a louder screech and just moved faster. 

"BOONE!" 

The cry of his name forced him to stop. The knife was left in the chest of the Legionnaire and Boone continued to sit on his legs. Craig slowly removed his sunglasses. His green eyes were puffy and red. He was tired and in pain. Soon, the tears started to swell in his eyes. He slowly stood, walked to Dustin and grabbed his hands. And then he broke. 

The tears had flown down his cheeks as he sobbed heavily. All of the emotions he kept inside for the past few years finally came out in the violent, heaving sobs that escaped his lungs. He bent forward and put his head on Dustin's scrawny chest while he continued to cry. This was the first time Dustin saw Craig Boone cry. 

But it wasn’t the first time that Boone appreciated having the smaller Mexican man as his companion. Dustin said nothing during the episode. He let him cry without judgment and he never felt so much safer than he did in the arms of the courier. After a while, he just collapsed in the lap of the mailman. 

That moment, where Boone lay in the dust with his head in Dustin’s lap, was the second time he fell in love with him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Made some developments for Dustin in between writing chapters so there are some slight changes in character. Sorry about that!


	3. The Third Time Craig Boone Fell In Love With Him

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The dynamic duo are finally in the strip to settle a score.

A few months after the Bitter Springs incident, the duo decided to go back to Freeside and stay there to rest and recover from the events that transpired there. 

Dustin was always happy in Freeside. He loved helping the Kings and the Followers. Boone never minded it. He was there to help Dustin when he had an episode. Plus the Old Mormon Fort was always there in case the courier’s health went south. While people in the Strip often talk about how dangerous Freeside is, it was one of the safest places for the two. Dustin was a large figure in the Mojave and he was wanted in one way or another anywhere. Except for Freeside, ironically. The only time he was wanted was when the King wanted to gift him materials after awhile. 

So for Boone, Freeside was the safest place the two could be. They had a free room to stay in at the Atomic Wrangler. They had a room in the School of Impersonation. They had everything they could ever need in the Wasteland. 

After the two had stabilized physically (as much as possible) and mentally, the two decided to continue on with Dustin’s journey regarding Benny and the desire to get to Vegas. 

The King had allowed Dustin to ask for whatever he wanted, and all he asked was for a passport to get into Vegas. The King absolutely agreed and he sent him over to Mick to grab a pass. 

“Here you go. Hope everything works out for you.”

“Thanks, Mick-k.” 

“Anything for you Dustin. Say, this ain’t any of my business, but did you happen to be that courier Mr. New Vegas is always talkin’ about?”

It wasn’t the first time Dustin had gotten the question. It was kind of obvious. He had a bad stutter. He painfully twitched every now and then. He had a constant migraine and the scar was what really gave it away. He never really minded talking about it, except for the fact that he couldn’t really remember everything that happened. 

“Yeah, I am.”

“How’re you doin’? Don’t really know many people who’ve survived a gunshot to the head.”

“I’m-m pulling through. Got some s-seizures now, but I’ve been through wor-rse.” 

“That’s good. I hope you don’t have to deal with anything worse. If you need anything, you know who to come to.”

“Thanks, Mick. I really appreciat-te that!”

After they were finished conversing, Boone and Dustin made their way to the Strip Gate where they showed off their passports to the Securitron. 

Boone had been inside the Strip before. That’s how he met Carla. He knew about the crazy things that happened inside: the gambling, the prostitutes, the lights, and everything in between. Dustin had never seen it, he’d only seen the lights from the outside.

However, inside the gates, Dustin’s eyes were illuminated by the yellows, reds, greens, and blues, and when Boone turned to look at him, he saw the lights reflect. His heterochromia eyes shone brilliantly and he couldn’t help staring. He didn’t realize how long he was staring until Dustin distracted him. 

“What?” he spoke, snapping Boone out of his trance. 

“Oh, uh… I was just wondering if you were ready to go on and find Benny.”

“Oh! I dunno. I k-kinda wanna just. Look around and exis-st for a bit. Y’know?”

“Okay. You’re the boss, Dustin.”

They hardly took a few steps in before they were stopped by a robot. Boone recognized the securitron. It was Victor, the southern cowbot that had stopped Dustin several times in their journey. 

“Howdy, Dustin! Glad to see you made it to Vegas! The head honcho wants to meet you, said he’s been waitin’ for ya for the past few months.”

“H-Head honch-ch-cho?”

“Mr. House! He wants to meet ya, especially after ya managed to track Benny down after he shot ya in the head. It’s pretty remarkable!”

Dustin and Boone glanced at each other. 

“Okay, we’ll visit later-”

“No sir, he wants to see you right away, so get a move on to the Lucky 38! Your partner here will hafta stay outside. No one else gets to see the Big Boss.”

Boone tensed up. “Dustin, I’m not sure if I’m comfortable letting you go up there alone.”

“Boone, it’ll be okay.”

Boone's rough hand gripped Dustin’s soft bicep. “You don’t know what they’ll do to you up there. And what if you have a seizure? I don’t want you to go up there without my help.”

“Don’t you worry, partner! We’ll keep a good eye on your pal here, and we’ll make sure he won’t get hurt.”

Dustin looked towards Boone, smiling slightly as if trying to gain the acceptance and trust of his taller counterpart. 

Boone looked away and sighed heavily, crossing his arms. “Fine.”

Dustin smiled and he squeezed Boone’s bicep. 

“I’ll b-be back!” 

Boone sighed as he walked to one of the columns by the road and sat against it. He lit a cigarette and watched the smoke leave his lips until he heard the large doors of the Lucky 38 open. He looked up and he couldn’t help but smile internally as the smaller man walked happily to him. 

Craig stood immediately and watched as the mailman approached him. 

“Hey. How did it go?”

“It went alright.” Dustin leaned in. “Mr. House is extremely demanding.” 

“Is he?”

“Yeah, he wants me t-to get the P-Platinum Chip and bring it to him. As if I want to get involved w-with that. I just want to talk to Ben-ny and start my life.”

Boone nodded. “Well. Let’s go talk to him.” 

Craig felt his hand begin to wrap around the smaller hand by Dustin’s side. The two locked eyes and smiled, and proceeded to the Tops Casino. 

\-----

They were on the second floor of the Tops. The two had talked to Swank, who was at the front desk keeping a record of everything that was going on in the casino. They had let him know about the things that Benny had done and Swank was almost in disbelief. If it weren’t for Benny’s lighter, the courier’s order with the platinum chip, and also the big circular scar on his forehead, he would’ve told them to fuck off from the Tops. But the evidence was too clear. He had to give the courier his full support.

Boone and Dustin now sat in chairs, leaning against the railing that looked down on the blackjack tables. Benny was standing right there, speaking to his guards about god knows what. Dustin wasn’t facing him in case of recognition, but Boone kept a solid eye on him. 

“What’s your plan?” Boone muttered.

“Don’t have one.”

“Figured as much.” 

Dustin smiled. He was pretty popular for just tackling problems without really thinking about what to do about it first. But he was still alive, so he thought he was doing fine so far. 

“I kinda just want to talk to him. N-Nothing else. I just want to ask him why.”

“Then do it.”

“Alright.” He stood up slowly.

“Do you want me to go with you or should I watch from up here?”

“I think I can handle it well enough alone.”

“Alright. I’ll stay up here and watch. If anything happens, expect me to take action.”

“I know. Thank you, Craig.”

For some reason, Boone’s heart jumped when Dustin referred to him by his first name and he couldn’t help but watch the courier go down the stairs and confront the owner of the Tops Casino. 

It went surprisingly well, from what Boone could see. Dustin was quiet and calm, and Benny seemed scared shitless. It was funny and Boone loved watching someone cower from Dustin’s existence. However, Dustin seemed to get everything to work in his favor. He looked up at the second floor and signed that he was going to the Presidential Suite with Benny. He was able to come. 

So the three of them were in the elevator to the Presidential and once they walked inside, Benny sat down comfortably at the bar after serving himself a drink. Dustin followed and sat with him, beginning to talk about plans for the future. Boone stood at the door of the elevators, not really allowing Benny much room to pull something on Dustin. But thankfully, the chat was pretty calm. All Dustin and Benny had done was talking about the potential of running Vegas together. Boone wondered what that would mean for Mr. House, especially since this went against his terms. But he imagined that Dustin was hearing what everyone had to say before deciding what he wanted to do with the future. It was smart. O

Once the conversation was done, Boone allowed Benny to exit the suite and he left his position at the elevator door to talk to Dustin. 

“So. What do you think?”

“Dunno. From what I heard was that he’s f-full of bullshit-t. That’s what Jessup said.”

“I guess we’ll find out. Want to go talk to Swank again?”

“Yeah.”

\-----

After talking to Swank, learning that Benny had left Vegas as soon as possible, and finding a Legionnaire in disguise that gave Dustin the Mark of Caesar (and then killing him), the two ended up in the Aces Theater. 

It had been a long day, and Dustin wanted to relax a bit and live the Vegas life so Boone happily obliged by treating him to food and a show at the Tops. They sat in the back of the theater, Boone's arm stretched out across the back of the booth where they sat comfortably. Dustin sat next to him, close enough to where their thighs were touching. It was a very calming evening, as the two watched the Rad Pack perform while eating Salisbury Steak. 

Every now and then, Dustin would steal a glance at the sniper sitting comfortably next to him. He would grin whenever he saw him smile at the music as he held his beer in his free hand. His sunglasses were removed and hanging on the collar of his dirty white tee. His brown eyes glistened in the Vegas lights and Dustin couldn’t help but stare. 

When Boone would turn his head and look back at him, he would suck in a breath and turn back to look at the band, as if he was never staring at his companion. Boone couldn’t help but smile. He was happy at this moment with Dustin. Even more so when he felt the smaller man lean into him and rest his head on his shoulder. 

When the sniper looked over at Dustin questioningly, he couldn’t help but blush when he spoke. 

“You’re the best, Boone. Thank you.”

“For what?”

“Being you. And being mine.” 

Boone almost asked what that meant until Dustin sat up straighter and pressed a gentle, caring kiss on his stubbled cheek. 

That was the third time Craig Boone fell in love with him.


End file.
